Circular knitting machine



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. E. R. BRANSON. CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE.

No. 468,323. Patented Feb. 9, 1892.

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m: NORRIS wrrzn (No Model.) 2 sheets-sheet 2. E. R. BR-ANSON. OIRGULAR KNITTING MACHINE.

No. 468,323. Patented Feb. 9, 1892!,

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ED\VIN R. BRANSON, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

CIRCULAR-KNITTING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 468,323, dated February 9, 1892.

Application filed July 15, 1890. $erial No. 358,784. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDWIN R. BRANsON, of the city and county of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Circular-Knitting Machines, of which the following is a true and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

My present invention relates to the needleactuating cams of a knitting-machine; and its chief object is, without sacrifice of their common forms and functions, so to contrive, control, and operate them that theymay upon occasion have the ancillary power of returning to their actuating range proper such needles as may have been temporarily removed therefrom and placed in certain adjacent non-active limits, further objects being, in carrying my said invention into practice, so to contrive and combine the chief cam employed as not only to render its actions automatic, but also to effect its movements and maintain it in proper positions, when assumed, by positively-connected controlling mechanism. Moreover, as economy of space and concentration of function are very desirable qualities in the ordinarily highly-restricted cam-belt of hosiers circular-knitting machines and as my said invention tends to secure both those qualities I have not only practically combined and embodied it in such a machine with great advantage, but I shall also, without thereby intending to limit its more general scope and nature, hereinafter make use of such a machine illustratively to describe the same.

Reference now being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which corresponding parts are represented by similar letters in all figures, they will be found to illustrate my present invention as follows:

Figure 1 is a plan of sufficient of the parts of a hosiers circular-knitting machine embodying my present invention to illustrate the same, the needles being removed and the yarn-bobbin support shown in transverse sec tion for the sake of unrestricted view of associate parts. Fig. 2 is an elevation, partially in cross-section, upon the off-set broken line 2 y of Fig. l of the chief parts of the mechanism shown in the latter figure. The needles, however, are here shown in place and indicate by their different altitudes two groups, the lower of active stitch-wave cam-path pursuing sort and the other or higher lot a non-active thrown-out series; also, although it lies within the plane of said section the cam and its immediate actuating shaft, on which I rely for returning such nonactive group, is left entire. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of said cam and actuating part shown separately. Fig. 4: is a similar View of the same upon a slightly-smaller scale and in combination with a modified controlling mechanism, the latter shown fragmentarily. Figs. 5 and 6 are each elevations in median vertical section of the cam cylinder and socket shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the broken line a: w of Fig. 1 denoting that upon which said sections were passed and the point of view of each being diametricallyopposite to the duplex stitchwave-forming cam-belt which they show.

In general in these figures the table, cam, and needle cylinders, with the actuating mechanism of the latter, are of the ordinary sort of the class of machine referred to, and in brief may be said to consist of a fixed girdling cam-cylinder A, secured by screws Z) passing through its laterally-flanged foot a and engaging with the table 13. Said cylinder having fashioned in its lower inner wall A an enlarged bore or chamber a affords, with removably-secured retaining-clips a, a hearing with proper freedom for concentric rotation to a combined needle-cylinder socket and miter-shaped actuatinggear C. The

. teeth (Z of this gear, as indicated in Figs. 1

and 2, are adapted to mesh with those of a transversely-disposed fellow miter-pinion D, fixed to the inner end of a drive-shaft S, and the latter, equipped with the ordinary device for the application and removal of rotary driving forceviz., with the fast and loose drive pulleys P P --is in turn rotatably mounted in a bearing 3, fashioned in the main frame of the machine, of which the table B aforesaid forms the general lower part. The needle-cylinder E, having its lower outside wall and base 0 6, respectively, snugly fitted and secured to the inner chamber or socketseat 0 of the annular socket-gear C, is thereby concentrically carried and freely rotat- ICO able under the control of the shaft S within the girdle of the aforesaid cam-cylinder A, and thus normally presents to the cams there of the radially-projecting heads or butts h of the series of needles H, which needles it carries, as shown in Fig. 2, in ordinary fashionviz., with one needle between each adjoining two of the leaves 6 of its longitudinally-channeled outer wall E. In these channels the endless distended spiral spring or garter F, that passes outside the said needleshanks in the circumferential groove f of the needle-cylinders outer upper body, serves to keep them at any desired adjustment unless they are in some wise'externally acted upon, asby thestitch-waves or knitting-cams proper. These cams W K K Vof the cam-cylinderA are also shown in substantially their normal shape, number, and arrangement in Fig. 5, wherein they are shown as of a symmetrical duplex or right and left path-crossing sort, and as adapted to produce, when engaged from either direction, as controlled by the movements of the drive-shaft S, either a continuous progressive or a to-and-fro reciprocal stitch-wave in the crown-like general arrangement of the latch-bearing hooked upper extremities of the knitting-needles to the hooks of which yarn is presumably fed in the ordinary manner well understood by hosiers. These cams will also, upon inspection of Figs. 1, 2, and 5, be seen to each consist of a metallic plate or other substantially rigid material curved to correspond to the adjoining cylinderwalls, and, as to general shape and disposition, to be formed and located as follows: First, they are all comprised within a certain belt or zone, which is in width proportionate to the range of stitchwave depths and. of a length considerably short of a semi-circumference of the cylinder within which they are carried; second, they are individually and upon the lower part formed of (a) a somewhat truncated W-shaped upcast cam W, which cam is rigidly fixed to or formed integral with the said cam-cylinder wall, and merges at each extremity of its actuating-faces into the general ledge to, which serves to support in an approximately parallel level the butts of such of the active needles as are not at any given time actually within this cam-belt proper, and (b) above this cam and in part filling the bays or reentrant angles w thereof of a pair of similar vibrative pivotally connected stitch wave depth cams K K, which cams, in combination with a third (and from them central and equidistant).overlying downcast cam V, form not only the common cam-belt proper when disposed in normal position, as shown in Fig. 5, but also with said V-shaped central cam form, as it were, jaws which lead on either side to the throats or entrances of the campaths which they help constitute. For by this means these parts serve not only to give the necessary successive reciprocations to the needles as their butts are traversed through them, but also to fetch within the cam-path entrances, whether moving to the right or left, any needle-butt which may have been displaced therefrom, as, say, displaced within the horizontal limits of the bracket .2 of Fig. 5t.hat is to say, the backs k k of the stitchwave cams K K are fashioned as ogee curves and adapted for leading the active needle-butts when either of said cams is in the non-active position, as K is depicted to be in Fig. 5,,from the ledge w to a position under the overlying extremity or jaw of the abovementioned central V-shaped downcast cam, which downcast cam, for this purpose sloping upward and outward from its lower central portion, extends on either side above said cam-backs into Wings 1) '0', which wings, reaching out laterally with ample clearance, usually extend beyond the pivoted connections -70 of the cams K K, and are united above'bya normally-horizontal top 0 above but adjoinin g the level of which top when in said horizontal position the butts of the group of needles at any time non-active, as G, are by the garter F purposely maintained. Now the path of such group is denoted by the rectangular paralellogram comprisedbetween thebroken lines ac'm, Fig. 5, and its presumed present direction indicated by the adjoining arrow, which also indicates the direction of the associatedneedle-cylinders movement at the same instant;

also, just below and at the slight advance or interval of an interspace'between said groups leading needle and the last of the remaining active ones the broken lines y 3 indicate in said Fig. 5 the path concurrently pursued by the said latter active needles buttsthat is, they now presumably occupy a path of position which commences within the right-hand jaws of the cam-belt or within and between R and i)"s adjoining faces, and thence extend through the normal stitch-wave cam-path, and, emerging upon the ledge'W, pursue the same until the aforesaid non-active group is again overtaken. Now suppose at this instant the proper time has arrived in the knitting operation in hand to fetch said non-active needle-group back within this very active path y ythat is, within the cam-path jaws. Ordinarily, the movingcylinder for this purpose is arrested, and the non-active group of needles is either manually forced down to a proper butt-level upon to or auxiliary switches (separate from the stitch-wave cams WV K K V) are then brought into action and the change effected; but by me, as I have illustrated in ITO Figs. 1, 2, 5, and 6, the above is eitected by ther rotation of the needle-cylinder fetches the non-active needlebutts under it, and it immediately overrides them, and by reason of its easy slope switches or shunts them below the central lower point or apex of its converging under sides. New, in order to accomplish this shunting act whether the group be coming from the right or left, (for which change of conditions a corresponding right or left swing must be made of the cam V, as indicated in full and broken-line outline, respectively, in Fig. 6,) I not only preferably chamfer the extreme wing-tip of said cam, as shown in Figs. 2, 3, 5, and 6, but I also preferably contrive to pivot it as close to its lower central point or apex as is compatible with the strength requisite to support and actuate it. For this purpose I therefore either form the cam of steel, and integral with it form a pivot-shaft N, as shown in Fig. 4, or else I fashion it by forming the cam of a properlycurved plate pierced, preferably, as near as possible to its said lower apex by a triangular orifice transverse to the cams general body, and rivet the shaft N to it by a registering neck and shoulder. Such modification is shown in broken lines in Fig. 3. Further, as the groups of non-active needles in all cases require some force to overcome the pressure of the garter F and as this is enhanced by giving them a flying shunt, as I may presume to call the cams above-described action upon tilting its wings across their butts coming path, I have found in practice that it is not only essential to tilt said cam in order to invoke its ancillary powcrs, but also to retain it in a properly-tilted position until the desired number of needles, whether it be the non-active group or any less number, (which latter sort of partial return is also within the purview of my present invention,) be returned. This I also conveniently effect by means of the central cams pivot-shaft N, which for this purpose I make of sufficient size to bear the strain and of circular cross-section suitable for a journalbearing in a corresponding orifice, which orifice I also fashion on the cam-cylinder wall, and preferably equip with a bushing, as N, Figs. 1 and 2, and thence through it I extend the said shaft to some convenient operating position and equip it with a controlling device. This controlling device may consist of any suitable mechanismsay simply of a cross-head, as the lever M, which may be grasped by the operators hand and so assist him to keep the cam V to any desired position, which, if the cross-lever M be aligned with the cam, it will itself indicate; or else, and preferably, the shaft N may be further provided with an automatic tilting device and be self-acting. Such modification is illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, wherein the cam-pivot shaft N has a rocking bearing not onlyin the bushing N of the cam-cylinder, but also a second bearing B in the body of the bobbinsupport D which for this purpose is fashioned as a Tshaped tube, to which bcarings ends it (the rock-shaft N) is collared against end motions by means of its screw-threaded outer tail, the jamnuts n a mounted thereon, and the adjoining face of the lever crosshead eye, which lever is also preferably adj ustably secured to said shaft, as by the setscrew or, (shown in Fig. 2,) the whole allowing for not only proper freedom for the reels ing motion, but also for the nice alignment of the associated parts. The necessary motions are in this case, Figs. 1 and 2, automatically imparted to the cam V by passing the arm on of said lever M over a cam-wheel I, which is mounted upon and fixed to a rotatably-mounb ed shaft 1, which is parallel with the driveshaft S, and receives intermittent motion therefrom by means of, first, the ratchetwheel 1 also fixed to said shaft I; second, the cam O, secured to shaft S, and, third, the cam-actuated rock-lever arms 0 0, which are by a suitable transverse eye located at their junction, freely mounted and adapted to vibrate about the ratchet-wheels shaft and fetch the pawl 19, which the shorter arm 0 carries, upon a suitably-projecting pivot-pin 19 in play over the teeth of said ratchet. A retainingpawl 132 being secured bya suitable gudgeon-block and pivot 19 to the table B, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, prevents backsliding of the actuating-cam I, whose projection 1', being by this means forced under the extension on of lever M, causes the cam-pivot shaft N to rock and tilt the cam V carried thereby from its normally horizontal position to, say, that indicated by dotted outline in Fig. 6. Upon the passage of the cam or projection i of the cam-wheel I the recoil of a spring R between the opposed cross-head arms extremity and the top of the table B serves to force the cross-heads arm on down upon the general circular periphery of the tilting cam-wheel I, and so forces the central V-cain back to its normal horizontal position; also, if it be desired to tilt the cam so as to interrupt a nonactive needle or needles butts when coming in the opposite direction or toward the cambelt from right to left in Fig. 5 it is within the purview of the device shown in Figs. 1 and 2 to fashion the periphery of the tilting cam at a proper part with a depression,as indicated by the dotted depression 2' Fig. 2, which, coming below the arm under the intermittent feeding of the pawl-and-ratchet device, (or their equivalent,) affords the spring B opportunity to extend farther and cause a corresponding tilting of the cross-head, and force the cam V to the position in which it is actuallyillustrated in Fig. 6. Further, should it be desired to tilt the cam V at any part of the operation of the machine not provided for by the timing of the cams driving parts when thus constituted it is within the operators power to lay hold of the ratchet-wheel I as if a hand-wheel, and lifting off the pawls p p to tilt cam V at will; also, if it be desifable to hold cam V positively to its several ICC positions and to dispense with the spring R I connection: a simplicity and'reduction in: the

number of parts which for many reasons I much prefer.

After the above description it is almost unnecessary to proceed; but for further clearness I inay'state that with the mechanism thus fully illustrated the mode of operation when knitting a stocking is preferablyas follows: During the-knitting of the tubularweb forming the leg of the fabric the pawl 19 is lifted out of engagement with the ratchetwheel 1 and the V-shapedcam is-in its normal or untilted position. When, however, the leg is done and the time for turning or fashioning the heel of the stocking has arrived, then concurrently with putting, say, half of the needle-butts into the nou-active'zone of the cylinder, as above described, 1' preferably 1 the said pawl p, and thereupon the Wheel 1 is intermittently rotated. This rotation being continued and the parts appropriately timed the moment forreturningthe ultimate group-of non-active needles is reached at the same instant that the wheel 1 fetches the elevation of cam i intooperation upon the crank-provided shaft N, and by rocking said shaft tilts the cam V, and thereby shunts said ultimate non-active group back into the cam-path and activity.

Having now described my invention,what

' I claim as-new,and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is

1. The combination, with a knitting-machines upcast and stitchwave depth-cams, of

i a; tiltable downcast earn operative when in its normal position to-coact with the above and form a stich-wave cam-path for reciprocating the butts or equivalent cam-engaging portions of a passing series of knitting-needles and upon occasion adapted to be tilted and held as a switch leading non-active needles 1 butts back into said path, substantiallyas and for the purposes hereinbefore described.

2. In combination with aknitting-machines 1 upcast and stitch-wave depth cam or cams, a

tiltable downcast cam, a' rock-shaft connected :to said downcast cam on the one hand and operatively to the driving parts of the machine on the other, and said driving parts, substantially as and for the purposes hereinbet'oredescribed.

3. The combination, with a Wshaped upcastcam and right and left stitch-wave depthcams, ofa winged central downcast campi-voted at or near its apex,-as described, and operative on being vibrated to extend its wing or wings across a non-active needle-butt'path, substantially as and forthe purposes hereinbefore described. put into engagement with said ratchet-wheel V and relatively fixed rock-shaftjN, of a scroll- 4. The combination, with the downcast cam cam, mechanism, asthe crank M and wrist m posit-ively 'connecting said scroll-cam and purposes hereinbefore described.

EDWIN R. BRANSON.

\Vitnesses:

LEWIS R. DICK, v JosHUA M ATLACK, Jr. 

